A friend of mine gave a small bottle of this the other night and I have absolutely not idea what to do with it. 45% alcohol by volume, I'm assuming that it is like a spirit. Has anyone heard of anything like this. Do you mix it with anything, drink it straight or on the rocks, chilled or not....any help would be great.

There also looks to be something soft floating in it (like tiny pieces of paper...).

Ah..never mind...I spelled it wrong again in my google search. hmmm...seams like an interesting ....umm drink...

From the company website

"In "Pays de Forcalquier", located in Haute Provence, a region in the South of France, Distilleries et Domaines de Provence have been making aperitifs and liqueurs from
Provence for over one hundred years. Les Distilleries et Domaines de Provence, founded in 1898, have inherited a tradition that is several thousand years old: harvesting medicinal herbs from Montagne de Lure, famous for its rich and abundant plant spices. Beginning in the Middle Ages, the people who harvested the medicinal herbs became peddlers, and sometimes
the herbs were already in the form of distilled products.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, these peddlers set up shop in many towns in the region as general merchants or apothecaries. In the 19th century, some of them became pharmacists, while others became distillers, and some ventured into both fields. The specialty products they made from the plants of Lure are in many cases drinks or beverages that have depurative, tonic, digestive, or refreshing
qualities, or they may stimulate the appetite.

Wine and alcohol, maceration and distillation are methods used to extract the aromas and active ingredients from the plants and to preserve them. Distillers did not begin to make a specialty out of the
production of liqueurs and aperitifs until the end of the century."

"Pastis" is licorice in flavor and was created as a sub for Absinthe. (Like Absinthe it changes from clear to milky when water is added-- hence the name "Pastis" which means "confused.") It, however does not give you the "odd" feeling one gets from Absinthe...

Another one of those liqueurs made by blending endless things, I have liked the ones I have tried...

I would cook with it (shellfish or chicken) and have a little before the dinner as well with some water added to it.

Pastis is much like ouzo or the other licorice based drinks around the Mediterranean. You dilute it with about 4 parts water per part pastis (usually with an ice cube or two), and it clouds up. (That's also what Pernod and Ricard are) When you serve it to people, it's best to use tallish narrow glasses, with just a shot of it in each glass and a water jug. People will add as much water as they think they need. It's an acquired taste (I think), but when acquired it's hard to get rid of.